Friday, June 04, 2010

Testimonials ‘R’ Us?

Fairy Blog: Victoria

I am generous when it comes to LinkedIn/4Networking/website testimonials; I think they are one of the most valid marketing and PR tools around.

If I believe a person, colleague or company has provided an excellence service or helped to generate business for Fairy, I will always leave them a happy testimonial. It’s only right, and I hope that one day they may leave me one too.

That said, I would never expect a testimonial if I had never worked with (or for) the person in question. That would be unfair, wouldn’t it?

Why, then, did I receive a LinkedIn testimonial request this morning from a person whom I have never met, let alone worked with? What on earth did they expect me to put?

Victoria recommends A.N. Other

“A.N Other and I have never met. BUT he has an informative profile on LinkedIn; this must mean that he is good at his job. Therefore, I recommend you work with him.”

No chance.

I’m not ‘stingy’ – look at the testimonials that I have passed on to former colleagues, clients and contractors, I am very positive.

The fact is, A. N. Other has actually ‘turned me off’ from using his company now. I doubt that many people will have responded with a testimonial if they didn’t know him, obviously, but how do I know that the recommendations that he currently has are genuine? I don’t.

My pearl of wisdom for today? Only ask for testimonials from those who have met, known, liked and now trust you, (I’ve heard that saying somewhere before) otherwise, you may end up with a stroppy mare like me at the end of your email. Or, worse, being associated with ‘fake recommendations’ and therefore lack every piece of integrity you initially had.

On that note, I’m off to Sheffield’s hidden gem; The Milestone.Mine’s a pomegranate juice, thanks.